New reports from the Italian Alps confirm six deaths due to an avalanche that set off from the region's largest glacier. Alongside the victims, eight other individuals were injured in the event.
The destroyed glacier was located right on the Alps mountain of Marmolada. This place is considered the highest elevation across the Italian Dolomites near Punta Rocca.
Avalanche Accident in Italian Alps
The accident occurred right on the track that the hikers commonly use as a route to reach the summit. Based on the emergency services that responded to the case, the avalanche occurred just one day after an abnormal surge in temperature in the region.
The mountain range temperature increased to 10 degrees Celsius or about 50 degrees Fahrenheit before the disaster; a record considered the highest throughout the monitoring history.
Emergency services spokesperson Michela Canova explained that the snow avalanche consisted of rocks and hard ice hitting the hiking trail. During this time, roped parties were conducting the activity, some of which were swept away by the mountain's unexpected drop, she continued.
Al Jazeera reports a casualty report from the Alps accident shows six people dead and eight people injured.
A couple of the injured were admitted to a hospital in Belluno, and another with a more severe condition at a facility in Treviso. The rest were taken to Trento.
Canova emphasized that the total number of climbers was not finalized yet. The nationalities of each of the victims were not yet revealed.
The disaster agency is still deployed to the area to seek further survivors. Helicopters are still on air to assess the location for the safety of the locals and other hikers. The Veneto rescuers also assisted in the disaster, sending off the entire Alpine team and sniffer dogs to the accident area.
Marmolada Avalanche Due to Melting Glaciers
There were clips collected from nearby facilities showing the massive fall of the snow avalanche from the mountain as it emitted loud, thunderous noise. Other videos from tourists also show how the rock and ice cleared everything on its path as it rolled down the slopes.
The Marmolada rescue team was seen taking survivors by helicopter right after the incident. The emergency initially took the victims they recovered to the nearby village of Canazei.
Emergency experts that responded to the aftermath admitted that it was challenging for their team to extract the hikers due to the avalanche's thick snow and rock layers. The local government provided psychology specialists to evaluate and support the relatives of the people involved in the accident, PhysOrg reports.
Glacier expert Renato Colucci explained that the disaster is "bound to repeat itself" because of the unending temperature surge at the Alps' high altitudes that are extremely significant compared to the normal rates.
The avalanche is likely a product of water volumes that accumulated to the melt of the glacier that was supposed to be a natural part of the mountain, Colucci continued.
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